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Teachers who are employed by public schools in the United States are required to be licensed by the state in which they teach. In many cases, a bachelor’s degree in an approved subject area is all that is required, but some states have requirements for additional education beyond the bachelor’s degree. Whether required or not, there are advantages and disadvantages to seeking further degrees in the education field.

Master's Degree Advantages

Many states require that teachers earn a master’s degree in education either before they start teaching or within a certain number of years after they start teaching. So in many cases, the advantage of having a master’s degree is that the teacher is able to continue working as a teacher. In cases where a master’s degree is not a requirement to teach, there is usually a pay increase for teachers who obtain the master’s. Depending on the specialization of the master’s degree, a teacher who obtains one could be eligible to advance into other educational positions such as school librarian, school counselor, assistant principal or principal.

Master's Degree Disadvantages

Obtaining a master’s degree requires a significant time and financial commitment. While earning the master’s could result in a pay raise, the cost of attending graduate school could be much more than the increased earnings over the teacher’s career. Time commitment can also be extremely draining. While part-time programs are certainly an option, juggling work, family and other activities can be difficult while attending graduate school.

Doctoral Degree Advantages

Instructors who teach in K-12 are not required to have a doctoral degree; however, many find that the likelihood of advancement into administration is greatly enhanced by having a doctorate degree in education. While a master’s degree will often suffice for administration roles, a doctoral degree can set the professional above other applicants. If there is ever a desire to teach in an education program at the college level, a doctorate is almost always a requirement. Some teachers want to teach future teachers, and the doctorate will allow this to happen.

Doctoral Degree Disadvantages

The master’s degree typically takes two to four years to complete, but a Ph.D. takes an average of 8.2 years to finish. This is very difficult to manage, especially if there are other commitments such as family and work. Many doctoral students go into debt to complete graduate school. According to a 2009 study, the average debt of Ph.D. candidates was over $34,000 for graduate school alone.

2016 Salary Information for High School Teachers

High school teachers earned a median annual salary of $58,030 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, high school teachers earned a 25th percentile salary of $46,110, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $74,160, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 1,018,700 people were employed in the U.S. as high school teachers.

About the Author

Amy Whitmyre has been a writer for more than 10 years. Her career experience also includes work as an educator and market researcher and a librarian in the legal and medical fields. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Science in library science and is currently working on a Master of Science in education.